ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition

Essential information

Type	Exhibitions
Location	National Maritime Museum
Date and times	Open daily \| 10am-5pm
Prices	Adult £12 \| Child £6 \| Student £9
	Free for Members. Not a Member? Join now

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Glittering stars, shimmering galaxies, fiery suns and silver moons – visit ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 18.

Astronomy Photographer of the Year is an annual competition featuring the world’s greatest space photography. Photographers from across the globe compete to take home the prestigious title.

Now it's your chance to see their spellbinding work.

Discover 100 photographs now on show at the National Maritime Museum, displayed at their best on brilliant lightbox screens.

Plan your visit to the National Maritime Museum

Brown nebula in the vague shape of a shark pointing left with its mouth open, with glowing patches of blue stars within it and millions of stars around

The Quiet Predator © Ali Alobaidly

The winner revealed...

Ali Alobaidly is the winner of ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2026 with his photo of the Shark Nebula, titled The Quiet Predator.

Capturing over 28 hours of exposure of this faint, distant cloud of gas and dust, The Quiet Predator features a remarkable level of detail for a nebula 650 light years away.

Competition judge Steve Marsh explains: “Perfectly rendered softly glowing stars to the very edges of the frame, thin wisps of tenuous nebulosity consistent across the whole shark and a brilliantly resolved dark nebula patch for the eye put this at the very forefront of modern-day astrophotography."

Learn more about the image

“Every year, I leave this exhibition feeling insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Londonist

Plan your visit

How to book

You can book tickets to the exhibition online now, or at the gallery's admissions desk.

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Visiting the National Maritime Museum

ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year is located in the Photography Gallery inside the National Maritime Museum. Download a floor plan here.

The Museum is a short walk from the centre of Greenwich, with regular DLR, rail, bus and river boat services available.

Plan your visit to the National Maritime Museum

Getting here

Accessibility information

The ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition images are displayed on light boxes starting at a height of 72cm, with others directly above.

Inside the gallery, there are two circular wood benches, with two backed seats on each, and space for around seven people to sit on each bench.

There are large print guides within the gallery.

There is one large screen in the gallery that plays videos with visual, audio, subtitles and a BSL interpreter. The videos play when one of the three sensors are activated by waving. The sensors are 75cm high from the ground.

More about accessibility at the National Maritime Museum.

Buy prints from the exhibition

From high-quality prints to space and stargazing guides, visit our online shop to take home a piece of space.

Shop the collection

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Learn more about space and astronomy

The Royal Observatory is the historic centre of UK astronomy.

The Observatory is just a short walk from ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year at the National Maritime Museum, so why not make the most of your day out in Greenwich and visit both places together? Find out more.

And if you've been inspired by any of the photos in this exhibition, don't miss the chance to expand your knowledge with one of the Royal Observatory's dedicated astronomy courses. There are courses to suit every level, from fascinating introductory courses to advanced astrophysics and astrophotography courses. Find out more.

Can't join us in person? Visit our online space and astronomy content hub to find astronomy guides, night sky highlights, astrophotography articles and more.

Enter the competition

Every year, photographers from across the globe compete to be part of the final exhibition and take home the prestigious title.

Photographers of all skill levels are invited to submit up to 10 images to the competition.

There are separate photography prizes open to adults, young photographers and astrophotography newcomers.

All entrants have a chance of winning cash prizes, seeing their image displayed in an exhibition at the National Maritime Museum, a year’s subscription to BBC Sky at Night magazine, and a copy of the Astronomy Photographer of the Year publication.

Entries to ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2027 will open in January 2027.

How to enter

Ticket discounts

Visitors on Universal Credit and other named benefits are eligible for £3 tickets - visit this page to learn more and book tickets.
Half-price tickets are available for National Art Pass holders. Book Art Pass tickets here.